Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-05-12
The Difference Between Parties

Chppant anu IrlVOlous people, VINO
waut an excuse for shirking their Own
public duties. are fond of saying that
there is no difference between parties.
Both are managed for the benefit of
hungry office.seekers. both stoop to in
sincere pretences, and both resort TO
fraud, these shirking citizens affirm
They slander worthier men than them
selves. The great body of voters who
constitute both political parties, are in
the main, honest and patriotic in pur
pose. Dishonest persons are found in
all political organizations, and in each
party their opportunities aud influence
are greater than they should be. but
that does not alter the fact that most of
the active and earnest voters who make
up the two great political parties sim
cerely desire to promote good govern
ment and the public welfare, and make
willing sacrifices of their time and ef'
forts to that end, and are herefoTe
immeasurably above the selfish shirkers
who refuse TO take any trouble for the
common good.
1t does not follow that both parties
are equally worthy. Ii party has for
any cause come to accept dishonest or
insinceIe men as its leaders, their influ
ence secures the tacit assent of WE'LL
meaning voters to bad measures and bad
methods. The very sincerity of these
voters, their earnest desire to promote
the public welfare by upholding the
principles of their party, renders them
reluctant to believe evil of their leaders
and willing TO uphold them, with all
their faults, in preference to the lead
ers of the opposite party, of whom the
worst is believed. How many Demo>
cratic voters are there who really un>
derstahd and believe the truth about
Mr. Garland's use of public office to
| help private speculation? How many
will get at the truth in regard TO the
charges of improper conduct against
Auditor McConvillep How many will
come to understand that Controller Dur
ham has deliberty violated law by
compromising claims against the United
States?
| 1t is the fault of the Democratic par
ty that being ableto sustain itself only
by wrongful and fraudulent conduct in
southern states and in some northern
cities, it came to recognize as its leaders
men who were willing to resort to such
measures, or to defend or excuse them.
The consequence is that there does ex.
ist wide difference between the two
great parties, in respect to the standard
of ihteg-ity maintained by their leaders
and active men, and that difference
crops out, of necessity. in personal and
official misconduct by many men select>
ed for places of trust.
Besides this, there is difference be-
tween the two parties In capacity aud
competence. The causes might easily
be shown; they spring from broad and
permanent differences in the constituent
elements of the two parties. But the
fact is illustrated at every session of
congress. when either house is controlled
by a Democratic majority. Unwise
measures which would do great harm il
adopted, are pressed with intense zeal at
every session by such majority. Meas
ures of praise worthy intent, by the in
capacity of the majority are so shaped
that they can only work harm. 1t mat
ters not whether the Interstate COM
merce act be regarded as wise and
praiseworthy 10 its general purpose or
not; all intelligent men now see that it
was rendered exceedingly harmful in
practical operation bp the ignorance and
laundering incapacity of the major
itY in the house. Its most hurtful feat
ures are those upon which the house
insisted with the utmost stubbOrnness
There is difference between parties, as
to integrity and as to competence for
the responsibilities of government. The
shirking citizen, who pretends that both
are alike bad, not only ISLANDERS millions
of worthier Americans than himself, but
shows that he is pitifully ignorant of
current history.-New York Tribune.
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